Acne is a skin disease that affects more than 17 million individuals in the United States alone. Three out of four teenagers suffer from some form of acne. The possibility of severe psychiatric and psychological complications affects many individuals suffering from acne, while affecting a person's quality of life in a negative manner. Psychiatric and psychological complications are not a serious problem for many of the individuals suffering from acne, but there are enough individuals with these conditions to be alert to the symptoms. This is not a disease that limits itself to the skin only.

If you are suffering from severe acne, be alert to the following symptoms. Seek medical help if you recognize any of these symptoms in your life.

Depression

Depression caused by acne affects how you feel, think, and act. There are many symptoms of depression with the most common being:

> A change in appetite that results in weight loss

> Sleeping a lot or not sleeping at all

> Tired all of the time

> Irritable

> Having a feeling of worthlessness

> Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

> Thoughts of suicide

You may become depressed when your acne is severe, causing scars and not responding to treatment. You should share with your doctor how your acne has affected you emotionally.

Social Phobia

Acne may cause you to become so excessively self-conscious that you fear being around other people. The symptoms of social phobia are an overwhelming anxiety of fear that others are looking at you and judging you. Embarrassed or humiliated by your looks will interfere with everyday activities. Dreading and worrying about upcoming events in your life will take a toll on your health.

Social Phobia is not something that is easily controlled by you. Please share with your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.

Anxiety Disorders

Severe acne can lead to stress, which in turn leads to anxiety disorders. As with social phobia, anxiety disorders have many of the same symptoms. The important factor to remember is that it is treatable and if not treated can lead to poor performance in school, poor social skills, and you are more vulnerable to substance abuse.

As a teenager, social anxiety disorder resembles severe shyness and may not be recognized as a problem. The symptoms of social anxiety are an intense fear of social interactions, avoiding friends and conversations, looking down while speaking to someone, isolating yourself from others, excessively concerned with what others think about you.

Impaired self-image and self-esteem

Are you constantly putting yourself down? Society today is all about the perfect look. The problem with this view is that no one has the perfect look. As a teenager your body is changing rapidly with many hormonal changes affecting your entire body. Acne is a result of some of those changes. You may not be responding to treatment and have allowed yourself to think less of yourself than you should. There are so many internal and external factors in developing a healthy self-esteem.

You are in control of your self-esteem. There are many good things about yourself and you need to concentrate on those attributes instead of those areas that you are not happy with. You may need to talk with your doctor if you feel that you are unable to develop a healthy self-esteem on your own.

Social Dysfunction

Social dysfunction is the umbrella of all of the above conditions. If you are suffering from severe acne and find yourself retreating from others and suffering from the symptoms of depression, it is important that you consult your doctor immediately. Acne is not always a skin disease; it can turn into a psychiatric and psychological disease. Stop it before your quality of life is affected.

Life with acne is not always an easy life. If you are not careful it may reduce your quality of life. When your acne becomes more than you can handle emotionally, your quality of life deteriorates. Acne controls you when it all you think about.

Gaining control may not be easy for you. Seek help when your emotional life is in turmoil. If you are a teenager, your parents may not understand how you feel and may not sympathize with you. If you are an adult suffering with adult acne, you are at greater risk of suffering from these symptoms.

Your first step toward a better life with acne is getting professional help when you are suffering from any of the symptoms in this article.